Thorn’s kiss is hard, animalistic, urgent. I feel like I’m being devoured. I moan against his mouth, almost delirious with need. I’ve wanted him so much, my body has been calling out for him like a beacon signaling to a ship. At his touch any thought of resisting abandons me. I’m burning for him, frantic as I clutch at his shoulders and hold on for dear life, surrendering myself to him.

As his tongue probes, insistent and demanding, Thorn’s hands move under my shirt. Rough, callused fingers graze my skin. It’s delicious, the best thing I’ve ever felt. I want his hands all over me, I want him to touch me everywhere. I want him to make me his, to mark me, bruise me, make every inch of me remember him long after this is over. He pulls me closer, and my wet, throbbing core presses against his hardness, making me gasp, and I wonder if I’m about to come just from this.

“Sibéal,” he murmurs, his lips against my throat. I shiver as I feel the heat of his breath against my bare skin and realize my shirt is already off. His lips continue to travel down, the rough bristle of his whiskers scratching along the way, until he comes to my breast and latches onto my hardening nipple with his lips. I cry out, it’s so good, it’s never felt like this before — not even when I’m alone and imagining some unknown fantasy man who would know how to make me feel. But Thorn is that man and he knows exactly what to do, and then I’m crying out again, my arms locked around his neck as he teases and torments me. My hips writhe and buck against his hard shaft, and he moves to the other nipple, licking and biting the taut bud, and then something snaps inside me and I’m already coming, shaking and calling his name helplessly as I cling to him.

I’m still lost in the fog when I feel Thorn pick me up and carry me across the room. He strides into the hallway and then into the bedroom, setting me down on the bed. I open heavy-lidded eyes to look at him and see he’s pulling off his shirt and stepping out of his jeans. His heavy, thick cock springs free, and I draw in my breath and just stare at it for a second because it’s huge and gorgeous. I didn’t even know that was possible but it is, and God, I can’t wait for him to be inside me. My lips parted, I look up at Thorn’s face. His eyes are dark, hungry. He leans over and yanks off the thin yoga pants I’m wearing, then spreads my legs apart, and before I know what’s happening he’s between my legs and plunging his tongue deep inside me. I cry out again as he licks my juices, teasing my already sensitive nub into submission. I gasp and writhe, my knees falling further apart, and I can feel another wave building inside me, stronger this time, powerful and uncontrollable. My whole body tenses, and seconds later, I explode again, gasping with the force of it.

This time, when my orgasm starts to subside, I open my eyes to see Thorn towering above me. There are no words between us as his gaze locks on mine. We haven’t spoken at all, only our bodies communicating with flesh and heat and need. He kneels between my legs. Hardly aware of what I’m doing, I reach down to take his enormous shaft in my hand. Thorn groans, his eyes half-closing as I squeeze him and stroke once, twice. Then, in one swift movement, he pins both of my arms above my head. With his other hand, he guides the head of his shaft against my slickness. I inhale sharply, loving the heat of him against me. Then, grabbing my hip, he pushes inside.

I freeze at first, and a soft whimper breaks from my lips. He’s so large it’s painful for a second, but I want him so badly that I arch toward him and beg him with my eyes to continue. I need him like this. I need him.

Thorn begins to thrust into me, fast and hard. His lips graze my sensitive nipples, my neck, my lips. He’s like a man possessed, taking what’s his, and I rock upward to meet him. Thorn increases the pace; his shaft slides deliciously against my clit with every thrust. He fills me deeper and deeper every time, and I can’t get enough, I’ve never wanted anything more than I want him, and this. Once again, I feel myself start to climb higher and higher as a third orgasm approaches, and I can tell Thorn can feel it too from the way his eyes are burning into mine. His rhythm increases, growing erratic and jerky, and as I reach the top and shatter around him, he shoves deep inside me one final time, then pulls out and releases himself with a deep groan all over my stomach.

I’m clutching the bedsheets, drawing in ragged breaths, my heart pounding so hard in my chest I can hear the blood rushing in my ears. The mattress sinks a bit, and Thorn bends down and grabs his shirt from the floor. Gently, he wipes his hot seed off the skin of my stomach, then tosses the shirt away and eases himself into the bed. I move toward him, nestling against his chest for warmth. For a second, he freezes. Then I feel him reach up and begin to stroke my hair.

“Thorn,” I whisper quietly. Just to say his name.

My captor.

I don’t want to think about that right now.

I don’t want to think about anything. I just want to be with him.

I just want this.

Again and again.

* * *

Thorn touches the starfish hanging around my neck.

“Why a starfish?” he asks.

I nestle closer against him, pulling the covers up around me. We’ve been lying in bed for about ten minutes now, not talking. I actually thought he’d fallen asleep.

“My mom knew I spent a lot of time feeling out of place when I was a little girl,” I tell him. “I didn’t have a lot of friends. My family wasn’t exactly normal, white-picket-fence material. And having a dad who wasn’t around much made it worse.” I reach up to finger the small gold pendant. “She thought it was symbolic or something. An animal that’s at once a star and a fish. Both sky and sea. Adaptable.” I laugh softly. “Funny, to me it felt more like the symbol of a fish out of water. Not comfortable in either place. But I loved it anyway. And when I wear it, I always have a piece of her with me. Which is nice especially now, since she’s so far away.”

“Is she coming back, or will she stay there?”

“She’ll come back after my grandparents are gone, I think.” I sigh. “But that could be a long time. And of course, I can’t exactly hope for her to come back, because of what I’d actually be hoping for.”

I feel him nod. “I see your point.”

“Can I ask you a question now?” I say. “Since you got to ask me one?”

Thorn’s muscles tense for a second, but then I feel him relax a little. “I suppose that’s fair,” he concedes.

“Why did you leave Ireland?”

He’s silent for a few moments. “It’s a long story,” he eventually says in a low voice. “But the long and short of it is, I was responsible for keeping a family member safe. I didn’t. So I left.”

“Have you ever been back?”

“No.”

“Do you want to go back?”

He pauses a beat. “I can’t want to go back,” he says slowly. “Because of what I’d actually be wanting.”

I’m silent, realizing how he’s worded his explanation to echo mine. Sensing he doesn’t want to say more, I don’t press it. Instead I lie there with him, wondering what could have happened to make Thorn leave his family, to make a new life here.

“I should probably go check on the fire,” he murmurs. “If we —”

Thorn freezes, his whole body going rigid.

“What?” I ask, but he tightens his grip around me.

“Sshhh,” he whispers, raising his hand in a silent command.

I frown and prop myself up, trying to figure out what he’s listening to. About five seconds later, I hear it: a low rustling coming from outside.

“Someone’s out there,” he rasps.

I want to ask him if he’s sure it’s not an animal, but I’m afraid to make a sound. And besides, something tells me Thorn knows what he’s talking about. Noiselessly, he slips away from me and out of the bed. Crouching low, he pulls on his pants, staying clear of the window. I just glimpse the butt of a pistol before he slips it into the back of his waistband.

Thorn leans in close to me. “Stay here,” he whispers. His face is deadly serious. “Don’t move. Don’t turn on the light. If anyone comes, get under the bed, quick as you can. I’ll be back.”

I nod, my eyes wide and terrified. I know instinctively that Thorn wouldn’t be acting like this if there wasn’t something very wrong. And as afraid as I am right now, I trust him to protect me.

I just hope I can trust him not to get hurt himself.